No insult to the Culwell Center (nee the Special Events Center), one of the D/FW-area’s nicest new general events arenas, but the switch seemed odd.

The UIL typically likes to hold its state championships in college or professional venues. There was a four-year stretch where the state volleyball tournament had been played in a high school facility (Austin ISD’s Burger Center), but the move to Texas State in 2000 had been well received by everyone — teams, coaches, administrators and the league itself.

UIL athletic director Mark Cousins acknowledged as much at a rules symposium at the Texas Girls Coaches Association conference in Arlington on Thursday, saying that the league loved its time in San Marcos and wished it could have stayed there.

So what changed? The Circuit of the Americas — the first purpose-built Formula 1 track in the United States, constructed southeast of Austin — will host its first event the same weekend as the volleyball tournament. The U.S. Grand Prix is expected to bring as many as 70,000 out-of-town visitors to the greater Austin area.

So, hotel availability in south Austin and San Marcos is extremely limited. The UIL couldn’t procure enough rooms for the 20 state tournament teams, and therefore had to look for a new venue.

After exhausting a number of other options, including UT-Arlington’s new multi-purpose venue, the Culwell Center won out.

But don’t expect the state tournament to become a regular date on the D/FW sports calendar. Cousins said that the agreement with the Culwell Center was for 2013 alone, and that the league would look at other options in coming years.